1773. July 16. Fryday.

Mr. F. Dana came to me with a Message from Mr. Henry Merchant [Marchant] of Rhode Island—And to ask my Opinion, concerning the Measures they are about to
take with Rome's and Moffats Letters.1 They want the originals that they may be prosecuted as Libells, by their Attorney
General, and Grand Jury. I told him, I thought they could not proceed without the
originals, nor with them if there was any material obliteration or Erasure, 'tho I
had not examined and was not certain of this Point, nor did I remember whether there
was any Obliteration on Romes and Moffats Letters.

Mr. Dana says the Falshoods and Misrepresentations in Romes Letter are innumerable,
and very flagrant.

Spent the Evening with Cushing, Adams, Pemberton and Swift at Wheelwrights—no body
very chatty but Pemberton.

1. Thomas Moffatt, a Scottish physician, and George Rome, a loyalist, both of Newport, R.I. Letters written by each of them were among those
transmitted by Franklin to Cushing (note by CFA in JA, Works, 2:321; Hutchinson, Massachusetts Bay, ed. Mayo, 3:283 and note).